Difference between a good portrait photo or headshot and an amazing one is almost entirely down to the quality of light. Yes the background is essential, and so is the body language, but if light is poorly directed and its quality (hard, soft, diffused, focused, etc.) is not complimentary to the rest of the image then all will fall apart. To create an outstanding image you not only have to know how to operate with light, but also why and when to use specific techniques that will result in a natural and undisturbed energy flow through the whole image. In other words, when you look at it it has to feel natural, and you should not see any element that stands out to the extent that it dominates the photo in a negative way.

model: Nata

When I work with a new model and I have no idea how to light her face yet, I experiment and search, the I discover and conclude. Everyone has a different face features, and they come with various types of personality. This will require different lighting each time for each person. If you mount your light on spot A and place yourself in spot B every time you shoot, only because it is your safe spot and you know you captured decent images last time and 100 times before it, you will learn nothing and remain medicore at best. Think of your photography as a boat and your model as the wind. Set her lose and don't force posing, and let her steer you in a general direction of what she feels is natural in terms of positioning and body language. Then become a sail and adjust your course. Sailing against the wind is possible but why on earth would you do that.

model: June

Light should not only direct the eye around the photo but it should be an integral part of the entire composition. If you think about it, there would not be a photo without light. On the other hand even the most amazing model placed in a bad light will look terrible. So you have to be sensitive to body language, yes, but poses and angles that you capture those poses from have to be in symbiosis with the light and its quality. Do not copy and photograph what you can, capture what you feel you should in a given moment. Do not photograph what your eyes see, but follow your heart instead. If you appreciate the subtle differences of light angles, intensity, direction, and so on, your portraits will look much more rich, defined, and peaceful at the same time, regardless of how dynamic the message or subject of the photo is.

model: Saari

Editing is essential for your progress, and I cannot stress this enough. Forget Lightroom and leave it for lazy people. Diving into Photoshop will not only allow you to refine what you have captured in much better and more professional ways than Lightroom ever could but also will do something outstanding- it will slow you down and let you gaze at the image for longer time. You will improve your sense of composition, lighting, understanding body language and help you to narrow down and target your own shortcoming as an artist. Just like a tripod is great for studying architecture photography, Photoshop is amazing for improving your portraiture. Do not mass produce your images but create them. Not only that, if you start working with frequency separation techniques, which are the only way to professionally edit a portrait image or a headshot, you will discover how you can fix issues with shadows and even reshape face features. This is a superb way of learning the light and how it works.

I am not too fond of typical studio shots, with almost flat lighting on the model and plain white background. Those kind of shots are mostly used for ads in magazines, in which the model is removed from the background and the image can be manipulated in every way possible. The problem is that those kind from shots are on the boring side. The light is dull, they all look the same, there is no power, no drama, no impact. Naturally there are exceptions, like amazing models, interesting perspective or angle, great hair or makeup, or amazing fashion design that model is wearing. This is why I love dramatic and moody lighting, shadows, mystery and all that. Shadows provide another set of clothes for a model, or just a cloak if she is nude. It is quite complicated to work with speed lights in low key, as if the model moves only by one or two centimeters it can throw off the entire composition, especially if hard light is considered. Low key photography is also great for learning controlling the light in a very precise way. Once you master low key photography, you can shoot anything. Girls living in Tokyo area or models building their folio who are interested in a photoshoot like this, please message me directly and we can schedule a shoot. You do not have to be a pro.

The less clothes your model wears the more difficult is to shoot a human form to make it look appealing and graceful. The most forgiving photoshoots are when the stylist goes bananas and the dress or whatever garment is overpowering the model, and she falls onto the second plan. Boudoir and nude photography are difficult for many reasons, and it goes both to capturing the image and editing it. Balancing of the body parts and their positioning with light and shadows, creating a light and ethereal but at the same time alluring scene, making sure that the background elements and the over composition of the image do not clash with the model and her pose, making sure that the skin tonality is even, capturing a natural body language of a model that will not hint to any discomfort of her being photographed nude, making sure that the model looks really sexy but not vulgar, and the list just goes on. Nude photography has many thin lines, and one has to be careful not to cross them.

I am currently looking for girls in Tokyo area for boudoir / nude / Chinese and Japanese calligraphy body art and cyber girl project photoshoot, please contact me if interested. You can see my full folio on my smugmug page.